Knife sheath assembly

ABSTRACT

A knife sheath assembly that is worn in a substantially vertical position and supported in a convenient location from the apparel of the user, such as a belt or the like. The assembly includes an outer sheath that has a first closed end and a second open end from which first and second longitudinal portions extend to meet at an intermediately disposed junction. An inner sheath having a first closed end and a second open end is slidably and snuggly supported in the first portion of the outer sheath. The inner sheath defines a confined space in which the blade of the knife is snuggly disposed, with the handle of the knife located within the second portion of the outer sheath. The inner sheath has a thong or other means secured thereto that extends through a longitudinal slot in the second portion of the outer sheath. By pulling upwardly on the thong, the inner sheath and knife are moved longitudinally relative to the outer sheath to a position where the handle may be grasped by the user, and the knife removed from the assembly. Due to the knife normally being completely enveloped in the assembly, the knife will not be inadvertently displaced from the assembly by contact with brush or the like when the user goes through an area overgrown with heavy vegetation.

[451 Oct. 15, 1974 KNIFE SHEATH ASSEMBLY [76] Inventor: William T. Griffis, 201 Cypress Dr.,

Apt. 2, Laguna Beach, Calif. 92651 22 Filed: Sept. 12, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 396,505

Primary ExaminerRobert J. Spar, Assistant Examiner-Jerold M. Forsberg [57] I ABSTRACT A knife sheath assembly that is worn in a substantially vertical position and supported in a convenient location from the apparel of the user, such as a belt or the like. The assembly includes an outer sheath that has a first closed end and a second open end from which first and second longitudinal portions extend to meet at an intermediately disposed junction. An inner sheath having a first closed end and a second open end is slidably and snuggly supported in the first portion of the outer sheath. The inner sheath defines a confined space in which the blade of the knife is snuggly disposed, with the handle of the knife located within the second portion of the outer sheath. The' inner sheath has a thong or other means secured thereto that extends through a longitudinal slot in the second portion of the outer sheath. By pulling upwardly on the thong, the inner sheath and knife are moved longitudinally relative to the outer sheath to a position where the handle may be grasped by the user, and the knife removed from the assembly. Due to the knife normally being completely enveloped in the assembly, the knife will not be inadvertently displaced from the assembly by contact with brush or the like when the user goes through an area overgrown with heavy vegetation.

5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Knife sheath assembly.

2. Description of the Prior Art Hunting knives and the like are normally carried in sheaths that are vertically positioned and supported from the belt of a user. When ahunting knife is so carried the handle projects from the sheath. Upon a user going through an 'area heavily overgrown with brush, the brush may contact the handle and cause the latter to be inadvertently displaced from-the sheath.

The primary purpose in devising the present invention is to supply a sheath assembly from which a knife cannot be inadvertently displaced, and one that permits the knife to be rapidly removed therefrom in the event of an emergency.

A still further object of the invention is to furnish a sheath assembly that provides optimum protection for the cutting edge of the blade of a knife when the knife is being withdrawn from the assembly or inserted therein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION tion that the handle of the knife to beused with the as sembly may be completely disposed inythe confined space. I I

An inner sheath that is preferably formed from a resilient polymerized resin material is slidably disposed in the first portion. The inner sheath is longer than the blade of the knife that is to be used with the assembly. The inner sheath includes two oppositely disposed walls, with at least portions of the walls being in frictional pressure contact with the blade of the knife to prevent the latter being inadvertently displaced therefrom.

A thong or other means is secured to the inner sheath and extends through a longitudinal slot formed in the second portion of the outer sheath. By pulling upwardly on the thong the inner sheath and knife may be moved longitudinally relative to the outer sheath to a position where the handle of the knife may be grasped by the user, and the knife removed from the assembly.

The outer sheath has means provided thereon, such as a loop or the like, to permit the assembly to be re movably secured to'a desired portion of a wearers apparel that will normally be a belt. However, should it be desired, the outer sheath may be formed as an integral part of the upper portion of a users boot.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a side perspective view of the knife sheath assembly, with the knife completely disposed within the confines thereof;

FIG. 2 is a substantially similar view as shown in FIG. 1, but with the knife having beenmoved outwardly to a position where the handle of the knife may be grasped;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the knife sheath assembly, illustrating a thong that is slidably movable in a longitudinal slot-formed in the outer sheath;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the assembly and knife situated within theconfines thereof, taken on the line 44 of FIG. 1;;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the assembly and knife taken on the line 5 5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the assembly and knife taken onthe line 6--6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a transverse cross sectional view of the knife and sheathassembly taken on the line 77 of FIG. '6; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a boot with the knife sheath assembly incorporated as a part of the upper outer portion of the boot.

DESCRIRT ION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The knife sheath assembly A as may be seen in the edges thereof overlying one another and being stitched together by stitches 10 as shown in FIG. 1.. The outer sheath G, as may be seen in FIG. 7, has a tear-drop shaped interior transverse cross section. The outer sheath G includes a first portion 12 that extends longitudinally from a first closed end 1-4 of the outer sheath and a second portion 16 that extends longitudinally from a second open end 18 of the outer sheath. The second'portion, as can be seen in FIG. 1, has some substantially larger transverse cross section than the first portion, with the second portion 16 being of sufficient length and of sufficient transverse cross section as to permit the handle D and pommel E of the knife B to be completely disposed within the interior thereof.

The first and second portions 12 and 16 of the outer sheath G meet at a junction 20 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The first portion 12 of the outer sheath G has a longitudinal slot 22 formed therein. Thefirst portion 12 of the outer sheath G opposite the slot 22 preferably has a resilient material suchas polymerized resin, that will maintain its form and be dimensionally stable when disposed in the first portion 12 of outer sheath G, but is sufficiently soft that it will not damage the cutting edge 32 of the blade C, when the cutting edge is brought into slidable contact with the inner sheath. The inner sheath H has an inner confined space of such length as to accomodate the blade C, when the guard F of knife B is in abutting contact with the edge portion of the inner sheath H that defines the open end 28. The inner sheath H as may be seen in FIG. 4 is of such length that it is substantially disposed within the confines of the first portion 12 of outer sheath G, when the inner sheath is in a knife holding position. The inner sheath H has a thong or other actuating member 36 secured thereto which member is illustrated in FIG. 3 as being a braided thong. The member 36 extends through the slot 22 and has an outwardly extending portion that may be grasped by the user when it is desired to retrieve the knife B from the sheath assembly A. When it is desired to so retrieve the knife B from the assembly A, the member 36 is pulled upwardly in the slot 22 to the position shown in FIG. 2, with the inner sheath H being moved longitudinally in the outer sheath G as such action occurs, and the knife B being moved longitudinally relative to the outer sheath where the handle D may be grasped'by the user of the assembly A. The inner sheath H as may best be seen in FIG. 7 includes two oppositely disposed walls 38 that have protuberances 38a extending inwardly therefrom that frictionally engage opposite sides of the blade C to assure that the knife B will not inadvertently be displaced from the sheath assembly A, when the user is running or the like, or the knife sheath assembly A occupies a'substantially angularly disposed position relative to the vertical. After the knife B has been removed from the sheath assembly A it may be inserted thereinby simply reversing the acts used in removing the knife from the assembly. In other words, the knife B has the blade C thereof inserted in the inner sheath H as shownin FIG. 5, and then the sheath and the knife move downwardly in the outer sheath G to occupy the position shown in FIG. 4. Although the knife sheath assembly A will in most instances, be suspended'from the belt (not shown) of a user, the knife sheath assembly isadapted to be incorporated in the upper outer portion of a fisherman or hunters boot as shown in FIG. 8.

The use and operation of the knife sheath assembly has previously been described in detail and need not be repeated.

I claim:

l. A knife sheath assembly capable of being secured at a convenient position on the apparel of a user to removably hold aknife that includes a handle, an elongate blade having a longitudinal cutting edge and transverse projecting guard between said handle and blade in a position where said knife is completely enveloped in said assembly and will not be inadvertently dislodged therefrom by contact with foreign objects, but said knife capable of being retrieved from said assembly by an upward movement of a hand of said user, said knife sheath assembly comprising:

1 a. an inner confined space defining sheath that has a first closed end and a second open end, said inner sheath longer than said blade of said knife, said inner sheath of such transverse cross section that said blade in in frictional pressure contact with said inner sheath when disposed in said confined space,

and said inner sheath formed from a resilient solid material that is sufficiently soft as to do no damage to said cutting edge when said blade is disposed in said confined space;

b. an outer confined space defining sheath that has a first closed end and a second open end, said outer sheath including a first portion that extends longitudinally from said open end thereof, said first portion and second portion meeting at an intermediately disposed junction, said first portion having said inner sheath slidably and snuggly supported therein, said second portion of such length and interior transverse cross section that said handle may be fully disposed therein, and said second portion having a longitudinal slot therein disposed between said junction and said second end;

c. first means for supporting said outer sheath from said apparel of said user with said first end of said outer sheath disposed below said second end thereof and substantially vertically aligned therewith said first means is a loop formed as a part of said outer sheath, which loop may be removably engaged by a belt that forms a part of the apparel of said user; and v d. second means secured to said inner sheath that extends through said slot and has an outer portion that may be grasped by a hand of said user, said second means when pulled upwardly moving said inner sheath and knife upwardly relative to said outer sheath to a position where said handle may be grasped by said user and said knife removed from said assembly, with said second means also preventing said inner sheath inadvertently removed from said outer sheath, and said knife when being carried in said assembly having said guard thereof resting against the portion of said inner sheath defining said second open end thereof to prevent the free end of said blade contacting said first closed end of said inner sheath.

2. A knife sheath assembly as defined in claim 1 in which said inner sheath is formed from a polymerized resin material.

3. A knife sheath assembly as defined in claim 1 in which said outer sheath is formed from leather.

4. A knife sheath assembly as defined in claim 1 in which said second means is a thong that is secured to said inner sheath and extends through said slot and is slidably movable in the latter.

5. A knife sheath assembly as defined in claim I in which said inner sheath includes two oppositely disposed walls, and said assembly further including:

e. a pair of protuberances that extend inwardly from said walls and frictionally pressure contact said blade to prevent said blade inadvertently being displaced from said assembly.

* l f f i 

1. A knife sheath assembly capable of being secured at a convenient position on the apparel of a user to removably hold a knife that includes a handle, an elongate blade having a longitudinal cutting edge and transverse projecting guard between said handle and blade in a position where said knife is completely enveloped in said assembly and will not be inadvertently dislodged therefrom by contact with foreign objects, but said knife capable of being retrieved from said assembly by an upward movement of a hand of said user, said knife sheath assembly comprising: a. an inner confined space defining sheath that has a first closed end and a second open end, said inner sheath longer than said blade of said knife, said inner sheath of such transverse cross section that said blade in in frictional pressure contact with said inner sheath when disposed in said confined space, and said inner sheath formed from a resilient solid material that is sufficiently soft as to do no damage to said cutting edge when said blade is disposed in said confined space; b. an outer confined space defining sheath that has a first closed end and a second open end, said outer sheath including a first portion that extends longitudinally from said open end thereof, said first portion and second portion meeting at an intermediately disposed junction, said first portion having said inner sheath slidably and snuggly supported therein, said second portion of such length and interior transverse cross section that said handle may be fully disposed therein, and said second portion having a longitudinal slot therein disposed between said junction and said second end; c. first means for supporting said outer sheath from said apparel of said usEr with said first end of said outer sheath disposed below said second end thereof and substantially vertically aligned therewith said first means is a loop formed as a part of said outer sheath, which loop may be removably engaged by a belt that forms a part of the apparel of said user; and d. second means secured to said inner sheath that extends through said slot and has an outer portion that may be grasped by a hand of said user, said second means when pulled upwardly moving said inner sheath and knife upwardly relative to said outer sheath to a position where said handle may be grasped by said user and said knife removed from said assembly, with said second means also preventing said inner sheath inadvertently removed from said outer sheath, and said knife when being carried in said assembly having said guard thereof resting against the portion of said inner sheath defining said second open end thereof to prevent the free end of said blade contacting said first closed end of said inner sheath.
 2. A knife sheath assembly as defined in claim 1 in which said inner sheath is formed from a polymerized resin material.
 3. A knife sheath assembly as defined in claim 1 in which said outer sheath is formed from leather.
 4. A knife sheath assembly as defined in claim 1 in which said second means is a thong that is secured to said inner sheath and extends through said slot and is slidably movable in the latter.
 5. A knife sheath assembly as defined in claim 1 in which said inner sheath includes two oppositely disposed walls, and said assembly further including: e. a pair of protuberances that extend inwardly from said walls and frictionally pressure contact said blade to prevent said blade inadvertently being displaced from said assembly. 